Month: September 2014

My novel Girl With A Thousand Faces is set partly in an abandoned Victorian house which is set for demolition. Research online and simply imagining what an abandoned building is like would be nothing compared to the real thing but of course accessing an actual condemned house is pretty much impossible for me. Instead, I visited an old building (albeit not wholly Victorian) which is currently being renovated, after years of disuse.

I’ve included some pictures here that really encapsulated my visit, from the images that show just how damaged the building is — even after extensive renovations — and others that shows its beauty.

This statue was something that, although nothing to do with my research, I wanted to share. I had walked into one of the rooms of the house, which was empty aside from a piece of abandoned furniture and some granite slates (which I believe are being used for an artwork which is to be housed there). It was late afternoon the cloth at the window was blocking much of the light and that room hadn’t been one that captured my attention. Outside, I could see flowers and a single yellow rose in the garden — inside looked dull in comparison. Then I saw this statue, hidden away in the corner. I can’t help but wonder where it came from (a past event held in the house perhaps?) and how old it is, but it drew my eye.

This was interesting as well, although for a different reason. While this isn’t quite a building set for demolition, it is damaged and it was clear to see here with the plaster pulled away only in one place. What interested me about the house was the fact that some rooms were in perfect condition, likely because of the extensive renovations that have already occurred but others are still a WIP. From the outside, now, you could never guess that the building isn’t already perfect.

The ornate decoration on the ceiling fascinated me and now that its been cleaned up, I love it — but can’t help wonder what it looked like before renovations began.

I had to share a photo of those two panels, which look so faded yet still hold some of their original beauty. All in all, this visit was fascinating — especially as all of this was hidden away just a few streets away from the local arts group I am part of and I’ve likely walked past the house before…